


Cloud Seeding - Erik

by ErlenmeyerKat



Category: Seduce Me (Visual Novel)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, F/M, Fluff, Incubi, Rolling in the grass, Romantic Fluff, Seduce me otome, Seduce me the otome
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-21
Updated: 2016-04-21
Packaged: 2018-06-03 12:52:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,986
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6611335
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ErlenmeyerKat/pseuds/ErlenmeyerKat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Erik wanted to protect Mika, keep her safe, see her smile, hear her laugh. He wanted to see her in a thousand different ways. But he only knew how to woo women, win them, not how to keep them. He didn’t know how to cherish a heart or how to break the news of their relationship to his brothers.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cloud Seeding - Erik

**Author's Note:**

> Cloud seeding is the act of providing the media on which moisture can accumulate to build the rain for a storm. 
> 
> The piano piece I imagine Erik playing is Liszt's Transcendental Etudes No. 11 Harmonies du soir In Db major, which is actually quite difficult to play unless you have the hand span of the famous Hungarian or happen to be a demon.  
> You can hear Claudio Arrau's rendition at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dR4qwCay5J8
> 
> I own nothing of this story, it's all Michaela Laws and her teams'.

Erik’s fingers danced over the keys of the piano, the tone rich and heartfelt. The late afternoon sunlight filtered through the windows, enhancing his coppery pink hair. His vest was unbuttoned to let him sit comfortably at the bench. He didn’t bother with the sheet music this time, instead letting his fingers find what they wanted to play while his mind wandered. With the conservatory on the other side of the house, he did not have to worry about waking Mika and his brothers rarely disturbed him when he played, enjoying it themselves.  
  
Erik had always loved music. He had learned to play many instruments, his repertoire rather eclectic, but had gravitated towards the keyboard. Its versatility and capability to assist in composing made it a natural draw for him.  The harpsichord back home in the castle was almost as close to his heart as his brothers and he wished to play it again, to hear its chiming tones echoing around him once more. He had discovered the piano here in the human world. Its tones were deeper, its capabilities broader than the little harpsichord, but he still missed it. He had grown up with it.  
  
The piano though, Erik could make it sing. It wasn’t part of his magic. He supposed that as a demon he had the upper hand in speed and dexterity. The chords rolled, _un poco marcato_ , shifting between the lighthearted _andantino_ and _piu lento con intimo sentimento_ , reflecting his conflicting emotions.  
  
Erik had played for their supper more than once in a bar or bookstore while exploring the world with his brothers. Sheet music had been hard to come by, but the library at the mansion was extensive. Through the penciled notes in the margins, the notations delicately scrawled not to deface the sheets but enhance the style, Erik discovered Harold Anderson’s wife had been a pianist.

He smiled to himself to think of the little note he had stumbled upon rifling through the sheet music.  
  
_Playing all night again?_  
_I missed you, but I’m grateful for every night your music sings me to sleep._  
_All my love,_  
_Harry_  
  
The thought of it warmed Erik; love that was real.  
  
“Love?” His mother’s voice scoffed in his head.  “You win them over and take what you need, then on to the next. You are not for them. Your focus is a queen, Erik. Delight them, romance them, gain their trust and admiration. See how their eyes shine. See how they smile and laugh. You draw them in, make them yours. You’ll enjoy it as much as they do. But then you move on to the next.”  
  
Frowning, his fingers hit the keys in a sharp chord and he brought himself back to the now. His mother was gone, back in the Demon Realm with his father.  He didn’t have to listen to her anymore, didn’t have to be what she wanted him to be.  
  
At least the parties had been fun. The dancing… Had Mika ever danced?  
  
Erik smiled to himself, remembering their first kiss. Mika had focused only upon him despite Sam’s scent still lingering on her. Her hair had been so silky to his touch, her eyes so wide. She was an innocent, anyone could see it. She had asked for it and he had been so very hungry for the energy an incubus craves. After all they had expelled fighting Malix and his gang in the forest, after their panicked retreat and rushed healing, he was hardly himself.  
  
Erik couldn’t remember the words he’d crooned at her. His nerves fraying, he had kept his courtesan mask firmly in place in front of her and his brothers. Something his mother would have approved of, no doubt. Inside he had been afraid she would deny him, step back and fight him. He wouldn’t enrapture anyone against their will.    
  
Instead Mika’s fear had melted to welcome just before Erik drew her in. She had embraced his powers once he engaged her. When he leaned in she had drawn in a quick breath, as though jumping into a pool and had held it as he savored the feeling of her lips, so soft. It had captivated him as well. He even forgot his audience, James cutting it off way too quickly.  
  
When Erik finally broke the kiss, Mika’s eyes had been full of wonder. The feel of her energy made Erik giddy, practically intoxicated. He had stepped back, seeing her eyes still locked on his. She hadn’t wanted it to end quite yet either. It had brought out feelings he'd never known before.  
  
Erik’s eyes had met Sam’s eyes over Mika's head for a moment. Sam was frowning rather intently. So his brother had felt it too. Erik couldn’t blame him, one taste and he wanted more. Of course he knew how to get it, while Sam… Sam’s brutish ways had the potential to drive Mika even further into Erik’s arms.  
  
Erik didn’t dislike his brother. He loved Sam. They were just very different. Extremes, one might say, and rarely saw things eye to eye. But they would die for each other if it came to it. He’d sacrifice himself for any of his brothers. They all held each other together. Could he risk their happiness for his own? Would he have to choose?  
  
“Take what you need, then on to the next.” His mother’s voice echoed in his memory. “There are so many delights in the world, Erik. A Demon of Lilith should not limit themselves to just one, especially one that isn’t worthy of them. You’re royalty, after all.”  
  
_Mika is not the one who isn’t worthy. Get out of my head, mother._ Erik growled under his breath and moved his hands into the next passage. He used the transition in the music to help pull his mind back to something much more pleasant. Mika.  
  
Flowing long black hair. Brilliant green eyes. Mika was naive and clumsy, a little clueless. Selfish and caring at the same time. Something about her was just so…so... He chuckled to himself. There were a hundred words he could use and still not completely describe it.  
  
Mika had given them enough energy: those kisses, taking their hands, talking and laughing with them. The brothers had learned the art of subtly taking energy, but Erik had wanted more. She had been on his mind the entire time since their kiss. He had envied his youngest brother Damien up in her bedroom while he made dinner.  Erik also knew if it had been him, he wouldn’t have kept his hands off of her. She had welcomed his kiss, after all.  
  
Erik couldn’t help his charms. It was just who he was: the flirts, the compliments. Stop and he might as well not breathe. His training was such a part of him, his court persona.  It came out even stronger when he was nervous. The more things mattered to him, the more nervous he became. The more nervous he became, the more obnoxious he grew. He didn’t blame his brothers for getting pissed at him. They all had an interest in the girl.  
  
Erik had ruthlessly flirted with her that first night in front of his brothers and she had smiled and saw right through his mask. **Something tells me there's more to it than that.**  It was as if she saw him, the real him, despite his act. He didn’t want to fuck things up, but he had kept it up. Sam and Matthew had both called him on it and finally it took James having to rein him in.  Looking back, he was glad James had stopped him.  
  
Through Damien, the brothers had discovered Harold Anderson was the magician that had brought them into the human world from the Abyssal planes. He had given them new lives. Erik and his brothers owed him everything. Mika was Harold Anderson’s granddaughter. Erik swore he would behave himself. He wouldn’t take advantage of her, he owed Harold that at the least.  
  
But Erik hadn’t expected Mika to choose to help him before the house party. It had been nice, just to be with her, cleaning and prepping the dining room. She didn’t shirk doing the work, though she had stumbled and nearly hurt herself. It had scared him. Once he had made sure she hadn’t sprained an ankle, he had used the excuse to touch her a little longer, even if it was only rubbing her feet. Erik even gave her a swift kiss to her forehead, acting like he could think of her as a little sister.  
  
Then Mika surprised Erik. Of the five brothers, Mika had sought him out, come to him this afternoon. She had even made him lunch. Funny how that little gesture touched him.  
  
Mika had found him in the gazebo. Erik had shown her where he had come from, more than he probably should have. He had been showing off a bit, using his magic to form the illusion of their home in the Abyssal Planes. It had drained him and he had faltered. He tried to brush it off, tell her he was fine.  
  
She saw right through him. Mika saw his need for energy and offered to help him. Erik tried to hold back, but he succumbed. He was nervous at first. He wasn’t sure how long he could hold his desire at bay. He really didn’t want to take advantage of her. But then their kiss had moved to another and another. She met his desire with her own. Mika wanted it, she wanted him. Feeling her straddling him, looking down on him with her hair falling around them, framing them in their own world, he lost himself in her.  
  
A part of him wondered if his brothers saw them through the windows. A small part of him hoped they watched.  
  
Erik had stopped feeding off her energy, stopped enthralling her, but she kept going and he didn’t want to stop either. She wanted to continue, needed to as much as he did. It wasn’t about the energy. It was about being with each other, every touch, every kiss and every sigh. He couldn’t keep his hands off her and they roamed all over her, rubbing over the denim of her jeans, sliding up under her vest. He couldn’t stop himself. Erik had gone this far before, but it had never felt like this and Mika was as hot as he was. It was her hips grinding against his.  
  
Lying in the grass with her. Feeling her lips, her hands, the taste of her skin, the racing of his heart and hers. They didn’t need his magic, they had their own. It was like a dance. Like his music. Erik's heart sang in time with all the soft moans and noises she made.  
  
A part of his mind that was not his mind was taking over. He had to feel her beneath him. Feel the friction of his body sliding against hers, lay her down in the warm grass and know she was his at this moment. He rolled them, pinning her to the ground, and it was as though they fit perfectly together. The intoxication of their kiss when they first met was nothing compared to this.  
  
Leave it to him to overexert her, after drawing so much energy from her. Mika had fainted there in the garden in the midst of their fervor, no doubt saving them both from going too far...  
  
Taking a deep breath, Erik pulled himself from those memories, focused on the keyboard, on his music. He would think about it more, later.  
  
“He wants her to be happy.” Damien had explained, telling them Harold’s wishes.    
  
Erik frowned. Happy, with him? He’d hurt her, he knew he would. He wanted to protect her, keep her safe, see her smile, hear her laugh. He wanted to see her in a thousand different ways. But he only knew how to woo women, win them, not how to keep them. He didn’t know how to cherish a heart.  
  
Shit, he was going to fuck this up. Erik knew it. Sometimes he thought he was almost as big of an asshole as his father.  
  
“Hey.” It was Matthew.  
  
Erik looked up from the keyboard to see his younger brother in the doorway. He moved to stop playing, but Matthew shook his head.  
  
“No, keep playing.” Matthew moved into the room to lean against the piano, tucking his hands into the pockets of his hoodie. “I kinda like it.”  
  
“All right.” Erik nodded, pulling the pace back up to tempo from when he had slowed.  
  
“It’s funny, at times it sounds sad and then becomes hopeful at the same time. “ Matthew tilted his head, listening.  
  
Erik shrugged. “The music has its own voice.”  
  
Matthew studied him for a moment. “I don’t think so. I think it’s your voice, Erik, hidden beneath those keys.”  
  
Erik started, dropping his hands from the keyboard and turning to his brother. Matthew smiled sweetly, giving a chuckle “Surprised you, didn't I?”  
  
“I.. yes.” Nonplussed, Erik pushed his hair back from his eyes, his typical elegance gone. Usually it was Damien who would show up at times like these. He hadn't been expecting Matthew. His frown deepened. He didn't know what Matthew was thinking. Was Matthew mad about Mika and him?  
  
“Erik, you may be a bit of an ass at times, but we all want you to be happy, you know.”  
  
Erik blinked. He should have known Damien would send Matthew. With a sigh he leaned forward to rest his forehead against the top of the piano, his eyes wavering over the keys.  
  
“I’m going to mess this up, aren't I?” Erik moaned.  
  
“Probably.” Matthew mused, considering. “Yeah.“  he decided. “Yeah, you are.”  
  
Erik closed his eyes and groaned.  
  
“But no more than any of us would." Matthew tried to console him. "We’re not exactly prime catches for her, you know?” He sat on the bench next to Erik and nudged him to lighten the mood.  
  
“Speak for yourself.” James stepped into the room, folding his arms and looking down at his two brothers.  
  
“James.” Erik acknowledged, still keeping his head down.  
  
“Heh, well maybe you are James, being the heir and all.” Matthew chuckled  
  
“Was the heir, Matthew.” James corrected “Was. Not anymore.” James smiled, it was still a relief to no longer be heir to their father's kingdom.  
  
“You two were out in the garden together.“ James commented to Erik. Realizing he was being more accusatory than he wanted, he dropped his arms to his sides and tried to soften his stance.  
  
“Yes.” Erik closed his eyes. So in the least James had seen. What was Erik going to say to them? They all had wanted her, he knew it.  
  
“Is she alright?” James asked him, his voice going soft. Erik wasn’t behaving as he normally would. James knew Erik's mannerisms better than any of them and Damien had warned him along with Matthew.  
  
“She’s fine, sleeping it off upstairs.” Normally Erik would have acted cocky, bragged a bit, instead he looked so nervous.  
  
It made James' smile a little bittersweet. He was sad to realize Mika had made her choice and it wasn’t him. But he was very happy for his brother. Erik needed it more than the others. He needed something real in his life, someone who could see past the facade.  
  
“That was more than a little reckless.” James chided but his heart wasn’t in the scold.  
  
Erik remained silent.  
  
“What was it like?” Matthew asked, curious. Mika was cute, but he never expected her to pick him out of all of them, so he wasn't disappointed. Matthew always was the lighthearted one and he knew his place in their group. To cheer them up, bring them a laugh. They might tease him mercilessly at times, but he liked to see how they’d smile. And Erik definitely needed cheering up.  
  
“Beautiful. Wonderful. Like holding a star and being warmed by the glow. ” Erik couldn't keep the wonder from his voice, or the fear. James and Matthew’s eyes met. Erik’s flirty tone was gone. This was him, the real him speaking. They had suspected, now they knew. Erik cared for Mika, a great deal.  
  
“Lucky.” Matthew smiled. He’d find someone too, one day.  
  
James stepped forward and laid a hand on Erik’s shoulder. “Erik, be happy.”  
  
“What?”  Erik straightened up on the piano bench and finally looked up at his brother, surprised. He wasn’t expecting that. He was expecting a lecture, chiding, anger, maybe even some jealous arguing. Instead, James gave him a small sad smile.  
  
“She chose you.” James explained. “Be there for her. Be the man she needs.” He ruffled Erik's hair and stepped away. Erik was so surprised by it he didn't even move to straighten it back into place.

James turned back to him from the doorway. “And Erik, be yourself.” He gave a wry smile. “She just might love you for it.”  
  
James' steps echoed down the hallway as he retreated to the library. Erik couldn’t help but admire him. Always the perfect form of grace. It was what he loved the most about James.  
  
“Yeah, be yourself.  It’s what drew her to you in the first place.“ Matthew patted Erik's back and got up to leave. “I’ll go make dinner, then let’s go beat on Sam some more. Something tells me he's going to need it.”  
  
Matthew waved and left, leaving Erik more than a little astounded and very much relieved. His brothers accepted it. They accepted Mika's choice. They wanted him to be happy.  
  
Erik's hands returned to the piano. The memory of sun-warmed grass and the feel of Mika's soft lips filled his mind. He was hers, completely, for as long as she'd have him. He felt his heart fly with the music.


End file.
